The Necklace
by Schadenfreudessa
Summary: It is there one year anniversary, and Thor is desperate for that perfect gift. Inspired by this amazing little piece of fanart:


He spent a lot of time fretting over the perfect gift, something thoughtful and perfect for the man who meant so much to him. It was, after all, getting close to their first anniversary- just a week away- and really, Thor should have been thinking of this long before, but he wasn't good at relationships. He had trouble remembering important dates, or at taking Loki out. It just wasn't him; he did everything earnestly and with all his heart, but he couldn't match the intelligence of his dark-haired lover, couldn't even think of trying.

But that was going to change. It was almost one whole year together now, though 'together' was not quite the right way of putting it. Thor would love to call Loki his- his boyfriend, his soul mate, his other half- but none of those seemed to fit him, and besides, Loki never placed such titles on Thor at all. Now, though, maybe he could do it, finally make them 'official'.

That was what led him to the small, half-hidden little store a few days later, one that sold odd little trinkets and gifts. It seemed so much more like Loki than the large department stores of the mall, where every face blended in with the next. Loki was definitely not like that; he was an entire entity to himself, with no equal, and this gift should reflect that. It was a gamble, on Thor's part, as Loki also had rather expensive tastes, and the shop could be called cheap-looking, but Thor wasn't sure where else to search.

It was a miracle, really, that his gamble paid off. Once Thor asked for the shopkeeper's advice- which the slightly older and harsher woman gladly gave, though with a too-sharp smile- she pulled for him a necklace. And it was Loki, in every way that mattered. The thin gold chain looked incredibly fragile, too much so to hold the narrow green gemstone hanging freely from it. And there were no other embellishments than that; it was beautiful and powerful in its deceptive simplicity.

Thor was excited, ecstatic to have found something so perfect. He very nearly went straight off to find Loki, but no, their anniversary was still a day away, and if he could just wait for a little bit, then that would make the day so much more special. So Thor went straight back home, carefully hiding the necklace away in his desk. Loki wasn't there, but that was alright, because he would be soon. And tomorrow, Thor would get away from work early, would head back to the apartment and make a great dinner, with sweets from that store down the block that Loki loved, and then he would give Loki the necklace, and then- well, Thor was hoping for Loki to be excited, to light up and be happy, truly happy- not just sly smiles and quiet laughter. But the other man was hard to understand, and even harder to predict, and so Thor felt a bit nervous. This gift, this dinner, and their one year together, though, would hopefully be enough for Thor to finally make Loki his, for them to really be together.

And so the next morning, Thor slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb the still-sleeping Loki who had curled there. He went to work, the necklace held safely in his pocket so that his too-clever lover wouldn't find it. Because surely Loki would look, Loki would know that today was there anniversary, and that Thor would have gotten him something. So Thor carried his gift with him, fidgeting nervously at work all through the day, until finally it was afternoon, and he could escape. His rush out the door earned him a laugh from a few of the coworkers he was close with, who knew what today was for him.

Thor made it back home in near record time, having left far earlier than the normal traffic rush. He wasn't sure if Loki would be there -Loki rarely told him of the next day's plans – but it didn't really matter. If the man wasn't in the apartment, than Thor would have the afternoon to cook and prepare and put together something spectacularly romantic for Loki to come back to. If he was there, than Thor would get to spend the rest of the day showing how much he cared for Loki; he would pamper and spoil and do anything Loki asked of him.

When he reached the doorway, though, it was unlocked. Thor smiled, knowing that Loki must be inside, and his heart beat just a bit harder as he nervously pulled the necklace from his pocket, holding it in his hands as he envisioned Loki smiling, Loki delighted, Loki laughing and kissing him and wearing the necklace for all to see that he was Thor's. Thor pushed open the door with bright eyes and a large smile, and strode excitedly into the apartment.

What he found was not what he had expected at all.

The front rooms of the apartment were empty, as was the kitchen, but that didn't deter Thor. Loki must be in the bedroom then; perhaps he was napping, and he would wake to Thor smiling and holding up the necklace, and then Loki would pull him down into a happy kiss- and maybe a bit more. With thoughts of that running through his head, he was hardly paying attention as he moved, just carefully being quiet so that if Loki was sleeping, he wouldn't be disturbed. The bedroom, though, told differently.

Loki was in bed, but not sleeping, not at all. Nor was he alone.

Thor stumbled back, Loki not even looking over to him as he was too busy getting fucked by some other man, some stranger that Thor didn't recognize. It took Thor a moment to think, to breathe, and then he was walking away, hand clutched too tightly around the necklace's chain, and tears staining in tracks down his face. He just kept walking, away from the bedroom, away from the apartment, away from that man, and away from Loki.

Later, he would confront Loki, who would just smile and laugh like Thor had told some kind of joke. Later, he would try and bridge the gap between them, try and trust Loki again, try and stay together with the man he loved. Later, Loki would just betray him again, and Thor would find out just how many others had stayed in _their_ bed.

Later, Thor would wander back to that store, and the woman would just smile the same exact way as she offered to take the necklace back, and Thor would almost agree. But even later, that necklace would be hanging from Thor's neck, hidden from the world under an overly-large sweater, and sharp edges of green gem cutting and scratching against his skin.


End file.
